Why in news?
Ukraine is currently dealing with a serious outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV), with health officials raising alarms as the death toll rises.
About West Nile Virus
| Details | |
| Virus Type | Member of the flavivirus genus, family Flaviviridae |
| First Isolated | 1937 in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda |
| Geographical Distribution | Commonly found in Africa, Europe, Middle East, North America, and West Asia |
| Transmission | Primarily transmitted through infected mosquito bites; mosquitoes become infected by feeding on infected birds. Can also spread through infected animal tissues. |
| Symptoms | – Asymptomatic: ~80% of infected individuals show no symptoms – West Nile Fever: ~20% develop symptoms like fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and occasional skin rash. |
| Peak Infection Period | Typically spikes between June and September (summer to autumn) |
| Reported Outbreaks | 19 countries have reported outbreaks, including Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye, and Kosovo. |
| Treatment | No vaccine available; supportive treatments provided for neuroinvasive WNV patients |
PYQ:[2017] Consider the following statements: 1. In tropical regions, Zika virus disease is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits dengue. 2. Sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
